Hi MPUers,
Looking for a motion sensor + hub setup under $100 total (iOS user). Want reliable phone alerts, long battery life, and a future-proof hub that supports cameras, door sensors, plugs, etc. later on.
We’ve checked out Aqara (M100 + P1) and Tapo (H100 + T100)…which is better overall? Or something else entirely?
Main priorities: Easy setup, minimal false alerts, good expansion options.
What do you recommend and why? Thanks!
Avoid Aqara LIKE THE PLAGUE. They are shilling to the extreme by paying people to advertise their products. They tried to do it to me several times and when I told them to fuck off and that I would expose their chats to the world, they stopped. They gift people stuff in their Slack in exchange for posts on reddit and reviews on Amazon.
I have 7 of their HomeKit cameras literally just sitting here collecting dust.
My favorite Homekit camera is the Tapo C125. I’ve tried Aqara G3 (1), G2 (5), G2 Pro (6), Eve and Logitech Circle.
Tapo C125 beats them all. It’s not perfect but it’s pretty close.
what Hub are you using to connect these smart sensors/devices?
It’s HomeKit. I use appletv
huh. So these sensors can connect directly to a software (HomeKit)? i thought they always need a proprietary hub?
The Tapo C125 can use HomeKit locally without a hub I believe. It’s for remote access is when you need the hub like AppleTV or HomePod mini
First, I have no “dog in this race” but I’m surprised by your comments.
If promoting their products is the only reason, I would question the recommendation.
Every product company, including TP-link/Tapo, aggressively promote their products showering beta testers, bloggers, youtubers, and “influencers” with free product.
Many also play the “free product for good review” on online ecommerce sites.
If that’s the only criteria, you have to throw out just about every vendor.
(I have a YouTube channel and a lot of first-hand experience with unsolicited and solicited influencer proposals and promotions.)
I’ve seen nothing but praise for Aqara and their extensive line of Apple/Matter compatible products and very low prices.
I won’t endorse them, as I have only used a few of their products, but I’ve also used Tapo/TP-Link and found a lot of their products to be very plain vanilla or “meh”.
I will, however, strongly endorse the “Logitech Circle is junk”. Basically anything smart home from Logitech is questionable, - they do great for mice, keyboards, et. al, but have failed miserably, and discontinued, most of their smart home products.